1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector having a latch device including a plastic member and a metal member in cooperation with each other for releasably securing a printed circuit board thereto.
2. The Related Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,759,057 and 5,755,585 disclose SO DIMMs (Small Outline Dual In-line memory modules). The former discloses a latch device essentially consisting of a plastic member and a metal member, and the latter discloses a high profile design.
The integrally formed plastic member is used to retain a clipping portion of a daughter board and the metal member is used to release the daughter board from the plastic member. The metal member is separated from the housing. However, even though such latches provide improved resilience and strength, the plastic member tends to break when an excess force is exerted thereon.
In order to prevent the plastic member from breaking, the housing is provided with a stopper to limit movement of the plastic member. This inevitably increases the length of the connector and hinders the compactness thereof. In addition, plastic stoppers are not durable thereby hindering resilience of the plastic member. Furthermore, in locking or releasing the daughter board, the hybrid latches are pushed away from their original positions. The plastic member often breaks during this stage because a junction between the plastic member and the housing experiences a concentration of stress. The junction is a curved plane without any reinforced member mounted thereon.
Since a minimized dimension along a lengthwise direction of the connector is desired, the structures disclosed in the aforementioned applications require modification. The main body of the housing of the connector can not be changed due to the necessity for compliance with the circuit layout of the inserted module. Therefore, reducing the dimension of the latch device at either end of the housing is the only way to implement miniaturization and overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.